Shifting mechanism for card filing devices



OHM.

s. B. FREIBERG SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR CARD FILING DEVICES Filed April21, k1928 ...l .....llllll' Feb. 14, 1933.

Patented Feb. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STANLEY B. FREIBERG,OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL VISIBLE SYSTEMSCORPORATION, F CINCINNATI, OHIO, A. CORPORATION 0F OI-IIO SHIFTING'MECHANISM FOR CARD FILING DEVICES Application led April 21, 1928.Serial No. 271,86).

This invention relates to visible card indexes and means for adjustablysupporting cards therein.

An object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient adjustmentmeans? for cards of the character indicated.

Another object is to providemeans whereby variable numbers of cards maybe adjusted variable distances in opposite directions.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein anddisclosed in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a plan view ofone form of device embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. l, parts being brokenaway and all but one of the cards having been removed.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows -a front View of a modified form of the device.

The tray or holder is provided along its opposed lateral edges 11 and 12with elongated channels 13 and 14 in which are disposed rods 15 and 16.The rods may be rotated or oscillated in the channels and they may bereciprocated longitudinally thereof. In the present form of tray, thelongitudinal edges of the body or base 17 of the tray are turned inwardto form the channels 13 and 14. Notches or slots 18 are formed along theinturned edges of the channel portions and the lugs 19 formed betweensaid notches terminate at a distance from the base 17, whereby there areprovided along each channel,- longitudinal ways 20 and 21 connecting theslots in the inturned edges. The rods 15 and 16 are of a diametergreater than the height of the ways 20 and 21, wherefore the uppermostportions 22 and 23 of the circumferences of said rods are disposed abovethe lowermost portions or ends of the lugs 19, The rods serve as ledgesthat support the ends of flat spring card holders or supports 24 thatextend into the slots 18. The relationship of the card holders, tray,and card spacing means may be identical with the structure shown in mycopending application Serial No. 226,490, filed October 15, 1927,however, the rods 15 and 16 herein perform the function of the ledges 34shown in said copending application. The walls of each notch or slot 18and the rods provide spaced pockets that receive the ends 25 and 26 ofthe card holders 24. The pockets arefarranged in pairs. the pockets ofeach pair being opposite one another, one pocket of each pair of pocketsbeing at an opposite side of the tray. The cards 27 are perforated andare threaded upon the car-d holders.

The rods 15 and 16 are each provided with cross slots 28 that may serveas receptacles for receiving and holding the ends of the card holders24. Normally the rods are so disposed that the cross slots are whollybelow the upper surface of the rods, thereby presenting a continuoussmooth upper surface upon which the ends of the card holders rest. Whenthe rods are rotatably actuated so as to dispose the cross slots alongthe uppermost surface of the rods, the ends of the card holders mayenter the cross slots, provided the card holders are rotatably actuatedto such extent that the wider parallel faces 29 and 30 of the cardholder extend in parallelism with the transversely extending walls 31and 32 of the cross slots. The thickness of the card holders is lessthan the width of the cross slots, whereas the width of the wider faces29 and 30 of the card holders exceeds the width of the cross slots.Preferably the mouths 33 of the cross slots are enlarged or the wallsare rounded as shown, whereby to direct the ends of the card holdersinto the cross slots or receptacles when the card holders are turned,generally in conjunction with a card 27, to bring the one edge 34 of thecard holder into registry with one of the cross slots. When the crossslots are exposed, only those card holders that are turned atrightangles to their normal position enter the cross slots orreceptacles (see Fig. When the ends of one or more card holders aredisposed in the cross slots or receptacles, the upper edge or edge 35 ofthe card holder or holders are disposed below the lugs 19, wherefore thecard holders move with the rods when the rods are moved longitudinally.By moving the rods various distances, the card holders can be moved toand from various pockets. Then a cardholder has been moved to a selectedpocket, return of the` rods to normal position, so far as thereceptacles are concerned, serves to eject the card holder from thereceptacle, and the card holder returns to normal position with itswider faces extendiig in substantial parallelism with the base -l l Therods may be rotated and/or reciprocated by suitable finger pieces .36.If de-` sired the rods may be connected in any suitable manner foreffecting unitary. reciprocation and oscillation of the rods. A simpledevice for that purpose comprises a cross bar 40 that may looselyreceive the rods and with a nger piece 4l pivoted thereto andeccentrically attached links 42 and 43 pivotally connected between therods and the linger piece.

At the one end of each channel is provided a stop device, such as pinthat precludes escape from the forward or auxiliary channel 51 of aspring-actuated pressure bar or foot 52. The bar A52 is provided with apaw] 53 at its one end, the pawl being adapted to engage in thereceptacles for yieldingly restraining the rod against longitudinalmovement. The paWl when entering the mouths of the receptacles or crossslots, imparts a slight jar to the rods, whereby an operator maydetermine the number of pockets that a given cross slot has passed whilelongitudinally moving the rods in a given operation of the device.

The bar or foot 52 is provided with seats 54 and 55 for receiving theends of spring 56. The forward end 57 of bar 52 may be provided with acatch or lug 58 that may enter an annular groove 59 in the rod topreclude complete withdrawal of the rod from the tray. The forward endof the bar 52 is preferably rounded at the bottom, to facilitateintroduction of the rod into the channel after the bar 52 and spring 56have been assembled therein.

Normally the rods l5 and 16 present a continuous upper surface aspreviously eX- .plained Vhile the rods are so disposed the cards may beturned back and forth, the card holders turning with the cards andreceived in the cooperating pairs of pockets formed along the lateraledges of the tray. rIhe card holders may be flexed to withdraw and toinsert same in various pairs of pockets. Assuming that one card andholder has been withdrawn and it is desired to move all of the othercards and holders, on one side of the space provided by withdrawal ofthe indicated card, adjacent to the other cards in the tray, an operatorwould Withdraw the rods from the front of the tray until the indicatingmeans indicates that the cross slots in the rods had been moved towardthe front of the tray, a distance equal to the space between any twoadjacent pockets. The rods are then rotatably actuated to bring thecross slots uppermost. The cards that are to be moved are then actuatedabout their axes to positions such that their respective associated cardholders enter the cross slots disposed below the various pockets. Therods are then pushed back into the tray and are then returned to normalposition, whereupon' the card holders are ejected from the cross slots.In shifting the cards, the rods may in some instances be moved to bringthe cross slots uppermost before .they are moved longitudinally ofthemselves 'as previously mentioned. The cards, in varying number may bemoved backward and `forward at will, to any distance, contingent on thedistance that the rods may be reciprocated. The extent of reciprocationor stroke of the rods will vary with various types and kinds of traysand theV uses for which such trays are intended. rIhe variouscombinations of shiftings that may be made with the device, are sonumerous, thatno effort will be made to explain them, however, one hasno difficulty, when having one of the'devices before him, in quicklyrealizing the various arrangements and shiftings that can'beaccomplished with the device.

Although flat spring bars or card holders 24 are particularlyefficacious in conjunction with the various parts of the devicedisclosed herein and are therefore claimed herein in certaincombinations, the spring bars alone and in combination with the recordcards mounted thereon have decided utility independently of the variouselements included in the combination claims herein, wherefore claims tothe card holder and to the combination of card holder and record cardare presented in co-pending application Serial No. 245,406, filedJanuary 9, 1928.

That is claimed is:

1 l. In a card-shifting device the combination of a tray, meansassociated with the tray for receiving and holding a plurality of cardholders in spaced relationship with one another, and means comprisingrotatable and longitudinally reciprocable rods for selectively shiftingthe card holders relative to one another along the tray.

y 2. In a card-shifting device the combination of a tray, meansassociated with the tray for receiving and holding a plurality of cardholders in spaced relationship with one another, means comprisingrotatable and longitudinally reciprocable rods for selectively shiftingthe card holders relative to one another along thetray, and means forindicating the various positions of each rod relative to the receivingand holding means.

3. In a card-shifting device the combination of a tray, means associatedwith the tray for receiving and holding a plurality of card holders inspaced relationship with one another, means comprising rotatable andlongitudinally reciprocable rods for selectively shitting the cardholders relative to one another along the tray, and means for eectingsimilar ope-rating movements of the rods.

il. In a card-shifting device the combination of a tray, meansassociated With the tray for receiving and holding a plurality of cardholders in spaced relationship with one another, slotted rods mountedfor rotation and longitudinal reciprocation relative to the tray wherebythe slots in the rods may be placed in position for receiving selectedcard holders, said rods being adapted for the movement of said selectedcard holders upon reciprocation of the rods, and means for indicatingthe various positions of a given slot of each rod relative to thereceiving and holding means.

5. In a card-shitting device the combination of a tray, means associatedwith the tray for receiving and holding a plurality of card holders inspaced relationship with one another, slotted rods mounted for rotationand longitudinal reciprocation relative to the tray whereby the slots inthe rods may be placed in position for receiving selected card holders,for the movement of said selected card holders relative to others uponreciprocation of the rods, and means for eecting cooperative similaroperating movements of the rods.

6. The combination of a holder having a pair of opposed Ways and pocketsalong and communicating with the Ways and arranged in pairs, a. pocketot each pair beingl disposed at opposed Ways, and a shitting devicecoinprising a pair of rods each having cross-slots, the one rod being atone oic the Ways and the other rod being at the other Way, the rodsbeing of a diameter no less than the Width of the Ways at theirljunction with the pockets, said cross-slots communicating with theirrespective associated Ways, and card supports each having their oppositeends received in the pairs ot pockets and each being of a thickness lessthan the Width ot the cross-slots in the rods and of a Width not greaterthan the depth of the cross slots in the rods, the rods being adaptedfor oscillatory and reciprocatory motion relative to the holder.

7.- l'n a card shifting device the combination ot a tray, provided withal plurality of spaced pockets adapted to receive card holders, saidpockets having communication with one another by means of a Way, cardholders extending into the pockets, means disposed adjacent the Way forselectively rendering the pockets communicative and non-communicativewith the way and Jfor transferring selected 'card holders through theWay, to and from selected pockets.

8. In a card shifting device the combination of a vtray provided With aplurality of spaced pockets having communication with one another bymeans of a Way, card holders extending into the pockets, reciprocablerods disposed adjacent the Way and normally precluding shitting of thecard holders from one pocket to another, the rods being adapted forreceiving selected ycard holders and transferring same, through thevva-y, to and from selected pockets and for ejecting the card holdersinto the selected pockets.

9. The combination ot a record sheet, a `flat card holder attached tothe sheet and card holder support means having slots of a Width greaterthan the thickness and less than'the Width of the card holder, and intoWhich the card holder may enter when turned approximately perpendicularto the support means.

l0. The combination of a tray having pockets in opposed relation, flatcard holders having their ends received in opposed pockets ot the .trayand means for shitting said card holders between the pockets, said shiftmeans being inoperative on the card holders in their normal positionsand eiective for shitting said holders When the holders are turned at anangle to their normal positions.

ll. The combination of a tray having pockets in opposed relation, flatkcard holders having their ends received in opposed pockets ot the tray,perforated record sheets, the card holders being threaded through theperforations in the sheets and being non-rotatable therein, and meansfor shifting the card holders and record sheets between the pockets,said shift means being inoperative for shifting sheets extending insubstantial parallelism with the tray and being operative for shittingsheets extending at an angle to the tray.

l2. rl`he combination of an elongated tray having opposed pockets alongits lateral edges and a Way along each lateral edge com- Inunicatingwith its respective pockets, card holders extending across the tray andhaving their ends received in opposed pockets, and means for sustainingthe card holders in the pockets and for moving selected card holdersthrough the Ways to and from selected pockets.

13. The combination ot a tray having opposed fixed pockets along itsopposite edges, the pockets having outlets, card holders eirtendingacross the tray and having their ends received in opposed pockets, andmeans for sustaining the card holders in the pooltets or for allowingtheir passage through said outlets and for moving selected card holdersto and from other selected pockets.

1.4:. The combination of a tray having pockets therein, the pocketshaving outlets, card holders extending into the pockets, and means forsustaining the cardholders in lSO ' and the pockets or for allowingtheir through said outlets and for card holders to and from pockets.

15. The combination of a. plurality of card holders arranged in spacedrelation in a row, individual card holders extending transversely to therow, and means for spacedly supporting the card holders in a row and formoving selected card holders longitudinally of the row.

16. The combination of a tray comprising card holder spacing means,elongated card holders extending transversely of the tray positioned inspaced parallelism by said spacing means whereby to provide al row ofcard holders, and means for moving selected card holders lengthwise otthe row for varying the spacing of selected card holders.

passage moving selected other selected 17. The combination with a trayand card holders mounted on the tray for individual oscillation to andfrom normal and abnormal positions wherein the opposed faces ot the cardholder extend in substantial parallelism and substantialperpendicularity respectively to the tray, and means tor moving the cardholders along the tray when the card holders are in abnormal positions,said means being ineffective for moving card holders when in theirnormal positions.

18. The combination with a tray and card holders mounted on the tray forindividual oscillation to and from normal and abnormal positions whereinthe opposed faces of the card holder extend in substantial parallelismand substantial perpendicularity respectively to the tray, and means formoving the card holders along the tray when the card holders are inabnormal positions, said means being ineiective for moving card holderswhen in their normal positions, said lastmentioned means adapted toreturn card holders to their normal positions.

19. The combination of a tray, a rod along each lateral edge of thetray, and each having movement relative to the tray in the direction oftheir length and the length et the tray, means for limiting the movementof the rods relative to the tray, card holders supported on said rods,and cooperative means on the rods and tray tor spacing the card holdersand for movement of selected card holders to selected spaced positionsalong the tray.

20. The combination with a tray and cards pivotally mounted on the tray,the cards in their normal positions overlapping and lying Hat and insubstantial parallelism with the bottom of the tray, ot means movablelengthwise of the tray for receiving and sustaining the cards inabnormal positions, wherein the cards extend in substantial spacedparallelism to one another and substantially perpendicular to the bottomot the tray, said means adapted for moving` the cards, while in abnormalwise of the tray.

21. The combination with a tray and cards pivotally mounted on the tray,the cards in their normal positions overlapping and lying flat and insubstantial parallelism with the bottom of the tray, ot means movablelengthwise of the tray for receiving and sustaining the cards inabnormal positions, wherein the cards extend in substantial spacedparallelism to one another and substantially perpendicular to the bottomof the tray, said means adapted for moving the cards, while in abnormalpositions, lengthwise of the tray, and to discharge the cards wherebythe cards may move about their pivotal mountings to their normalpositions.

22. The combination of a record sheet, an elongated cardholder havinggreater width than thickness and attached to the sheet, and card holdersupport means having slots of a width greater than the thickness andless than the width of the card holder, and into which slots the cardholder may enter when turned to such position relative to the supportmeans that the larger transverse diameter of the card holder is in linewith the depth of the slots in the support means.

23. The combination of a tray having pockets in opposed relation,elongated card holders having their ends received in opposed pockets otthe tray, the card holders having greater width than thickness intransverse or cross-section, the card holders normally assumingpositions with the longer transverse diameters thereof extending insubstantial parallelism with the tray, and means for shitting the cardholders to other pockets, the shitting means being inoperative on thecard holders in their normal positions and effective for shifting theholders when the holders are turned at an angle to their normalpositions.

24. The combination ot a tray having a pair of parallel opposed ways andhaving pockets along and opening intol said ways, the pockets beingoppositely aligned in pairs, card holders extending between the pairs ofpockets, and single means for sustaining the holders in said pockets andfor shifting the card holders through the ways to and trom otherselected pairs of pockets.

25. In a card shitting device the combination of a tray, meansassociated with the tray for receiving and holding a plurality of cardholders in spaced relationship with one another. and shitting meanscomprising reciprocable rods having slots for receiving card holders andfrom which slots the holders may be ejected by manipulation ot theshifting means, said shifting means being adapted to move the holdersdisposed within the slots, to and from selected means associated withthe tray for receiving and holding the card positions, lengthholders inspaced relationship with one another.

26. In a card-shifting device the combination of a tray, meansassociated with the tray or receiving and holding a plurality of cardholders in spaced relationship with one another, slotted rods mountedfor rotation and longitudinal reciprocation relative to the tray wherebythe slots in the rods may be placed in position for receiving selectedcard holders for the movement of said selected card holders relative toothers upon reciprocation of the rods, and whereby said selected cardholders are ejected from the slots upon rotation of the rods.

27. The combination of a tray having pockets along its lateral edges, arod along each lateral edge, each rod having transversely extendingalternate ribs and recesses, cach recess normally aligned with a pocket,and opening away from its associated pocket, card holders each havingeach of its ends received in a pocket, one end at each side of the tray,the rods being movable to positions with the recesses opening toward thepool?- ets, whereby the card holders may be introduced into and may bereceived in the recesses and may be supported by adjacent ribs and alsobeing movable in the direction of their length, and means for enteringthe recesses successively when the recesses are in card holder receivingposition and when the rods are moved lengthwise, said means yieldinglyresisting lengthwise movement or" the rods.

28. The combination of a tray having pockets in opposed relation, cardholders in the form of strips of greater width than thickness havingtheir ends received in opposed pockets of the tray, record cards carriedby the card holders and non-rotatable relative to the card holders, therecord cards and card holders normally lying substantially flat in thetray and being movable together with their respective card holders toabnormal positions wherein the record cards are inclined to their normalpositions, and means for releasably receiving the card holders when thecard holders and their respective associated record cards are moved toabnormal positions and for shifting the abnormally disposed record cardsand card holders to and from selected pockets.

29. The combination of a tray having pockets in opposed relation, recordsheets provided with laterally extending support means in the form ofstrips of greater width than thickness for insertion in opposed pocketsJfor pivotally mounting the sheets on the tray, the sheets normallylying substantially flat in the tray and being movable to abnormalpositions wherein the sheets and support means are inclined to theirnormal positions, and slotted means for releasably receiving thelaterally extending support means when the support means and the sheetsare moved to abnormal positions or retaining the sheets in abnormalpositions and for shiting the abnormally positioned sheets to an-d fromQ'uidino an o erator in the relative ositiono t:

ing of the card holders in the tray.

3l. rThe combinationV of a tray having oppositely aligned pairs of lixedpockets, card holders having their opposite ends disposed in the pairsof pockets, means for shifting card holders to and from other selectedpairs of pockets, and means yieldingly resisting movement ,of the cardholder shifting means n relative to the pockets.

32. The combination of a tray having oppositely aligned pairs of ixedpockets,`,card holders having their opposite ends disposed in the pairsof pockets, means for shifting.

card holders to and from other selected pairs of pockets, and' means forsignaling 'the amount'of the movement of the card holder shifting meansVrelative to the pockets for guiding an operator in the relativepositioning of the card holders in the tray, and Jfor yieldinglyresisting movement of the card holder shifting means.

33. The combination with a tray and card holders mounted on the tray forindividual movement to normal and abnormal positions, the card holderseach having a longer transverse axis normally extending` longitudinallyof the tray and in abnormal positions having their transverse axesdisposed at angles to the disposition of said axes when in normalposition, of means for moving the card holders along the tray when inabnormal positions, said means being ineffective for moving card holderswhen in their normal positions.

34e. The combination of a tray having pockets in opposed relation, cardholders in the form of strips of greater width than thickness havingtheir ends received in opposed pockets of the tray, record cards carriedby the card holders and non-rotatable relative to the card holders, therecord cards and card holders normally lying substantially flat in thetray and being movable together with their respective card holders toabnormal positions wherein the record cards are inclined to their normalpositions, and

slotted means mounted for oscillation and adapted for releasablyreceiving the card holders when their respective associated record cardsare moved to abnormal positions and for sliding to shift the abnormallydisils posed record cards and card holders to and from selected pockets,said abnormally positioned record cards and eard holders adapted, onrotary movement of and release from said slotted means, to return tonormal p0sitions.

35. The combination of a tray having pockets in opposed relation, recordsheets provided With laterally extending support f means in the form ofstrips of greater Width than thickness for insertion in opposed pocketsfor pivotally mounting the sheets on the tray, the sheets normally lyingsubstantially flat in the tray and being movable to 1 abnormal positionswherein the sheets and support means are inclined to their normalpositions, and slotted means mounted for oscillation and adapted forreleasably receiving the laterally extending support means When thesupport means and the sheets are moved to abnormal positions, forretaining the sheets in abnormal positions and for sliding to shift theabnormally positioned sheets to and from other selected pockets, saidlaterally extending support means and sheets adapted, on rotary movementof and release from said slotted means to return to normal positions. y

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 16th dayof April, 1928.

STANLEY B. FREIBERG.

CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION.

atom; No. 5,897,935. Tebrary 14, 1933.

STANLEY B. ERETBERG.

is hofoby oeried ha error appears in the prntod spooiioation of the eumbred pao requiring correction as olows: Page E, line i5, oiaim f, sfioo zo mios "said ms being adapted", and insor ho same aior hosrsf :1.ocaim 5; and thai tho said Letters Patent should be M. I. Moore.

(Sea) cing Commissioner of ipatonts.

